Tutorial: how to custom a fit a sweater

If you're here becasue of the Craftster link, HI! I created this tutorial in response to the comments from the Herringbone Sweater post in hopes that you will be able to design sweaters you're proud of. If you're looking for the post on the actual sweater, it is below (keep scrolling) or can be found via the link in the sidebar under Completed Projects 2007.

Materials:
-appx. 2 yards machine knit fabric
-marker that shows up on fabric
-straight ruler
-6 feet of white paper (I used butcher block paper off of a roll)
- Calculator
-Seam ripper
-Sewing machine
-safety pins

Notes:
Don't be freaked out by the length of this tutorial. The first time I did this --totally on my own -- it only took 2 hours or so from start to finish to get to the measured up flat pattern. It can easily be done one morning or afternoon and you can keep the pieces as long as you knit and stay around the same measurements. I really do think it made the difference in the fit of the last 2 sweaters I knit (one was the Herringbone, one was machine knit for school I still have yet to post about).

Basic machine sewing skills required. A machine makes this easy, but if you don’t have a machine, you can either hand baste the seams or use safety pins in lieu of sewing.

I quickly did it this evening because I am going to be busy this weekend and school just started. The photos aren't the best quality, but please ask where clarification is needed, either here or pm me at Craftster.

This is not a sweater pattern for the Herringbone Sweater, but a way for you to custom design your own sweaters with whatever yarn, stitch pattern, etc you like. Using this method, you can make the Herringbone Sweater, or any other sweater, that fits you perfectly. I assume you have decent knitting skills and know how a sweater is constructed. But, again, please ask.

Step 1: Start with an existing simple sweater with some nice waist shaping you like the fit of. For this, I am using a scoopneck pullover from H&M I bought a few years back. I recommend a sweater of medium gauge, nothing too fine and nothing too bulky. Most handknits are heavier than machine ones, so don’t worry if you can’t find an exact match.

Step 2: Trace the sweater front and back onto store bought knit fabric. The fabric should be light colored plain jersey with a little bit of stretch, but not crazy lycra (as much as you want to, don’t go buying the sparkly leotard material) or something with no stretch at all. Microfleece is a very good option. (I pilfered mine from a knitting machine at school, hence the fugliness, I don’t actually live in the dark in 1974. The lighting is overhead and is screwing with the flash, and I'm not the best photographer). Only trace one piece at a time, and don’t worry too much about the exact sleeve shaping, just follow the normal path of shaping and hand-draw it in once you have traced the bottom, 2 sides and top of the pieces. If you're fearful, make it an inch bigger all around and you can adjust it once the mock-up is on your body.

Tracing the Sweater











Side seam (bottom right) and shoulder seam (top left -- top line is actual seam) being joined by hand with sleeve seam. This is for a set-in sleeve cap, even though my sweater was raglan.









Step 3: Move the sweater at least an inch or so away and trace one of the sleeves onto fabric. Hand-draw the sleeve cap. Then, make the “second” half of the sleeve by doubling it along the seam
Sleeve traced from sweater. the top of the sleeve (the sleeve cap) is hand drawn in a similar manner to the armhole as above. If this confuses you, go grab a pattern book with good specs in it and you will see it more clearly.















Once the sleeve half is traced from the sweater, make a mirror image of it so it looks like the sleeve, but doubled.














Step 4: Cut out the 3 pieces: front, back and sleeve: don’t forget seam allowance! Using the first sleeve, use it as a pattern to make the 2nd.


Step 5: Using a large stitch on your machine, sew the pieces together. You will be taking the sweater apart, so remember to use as big a stitch as possible and don’t worry about backstitching so you’re not cursing me later on. This will be pretty ugly and not the nicest thing you’ve ever made, but don’t worry about it. As long as you maintain an even seam allowance and sew straight, it will work out.
All sewn up!


Step 6: Put the sweater on inside out and check yourself out in the mirror. Make any necessary size adjustments. Use safety pins instead of straight pins so when you take it off you don’t poke your eye out. Refit the sweater as necessary, making sure to identify the correct seam so you know where to cut when the sweater is taken apart.
Yep, I am this dorky.


Step 7: Draw with marker along the sewing lines for the side seams on both front and back, the armhole shaping on both front and back and the sleeve seam. Be careful not to get permanent marker on the new tablecloth your mom got you for Christmas. Take the sweater apart and trim the pieces along the drawn line. Only do 1 sleeve.
Using a contrasting thread would have been helpful.


Cutting along stitch seam once pieces are separated again.


Step 8: Trace your new front, back and sleeve onto butcher block paper. I got this from school too, but paper bags or wrapping paper would work, too. Cut out.
Tracing the pattern pieces. From now on, you will only be seeing the back. Apply all furthur steps to all pieces.


Almost there!


Step 9: Fold the pattern piece in half widthwise and mark this line. Using a ruler, measure the bottom of the piece. You can see in the photo it is at 8 inches. Then, holding the “0” end of the ruler at the center seam, slide the ruler up until the size changes by 1/4”. Mark this place on the side of the piece and note the width. Do this up the entire sweater to the armhole.
Center line


Measuring the width.


Measuring up to the armhole.


Step 10: Draw all horizontal lines across the piece making sure they are parallel to the bottom.

Step 11: Using your gauge (from your washed and blocked gauge swatch you knit, right?) and 3rd grade arithmetic, (math is fun, really!) determine the # of sts to cast on.

My gauge: 6 sts and 8 rows = 1 inch using size 4 needles. But this is where you can use any gauge you have to work with your custom measurements

The CO # is the width at the bottom from the center line to the edge x 2 x # of sts per inch, so 8" x 2 x 6 = 96 stitches. (You multiply by 2 because you only measured 1/2 the width of the sweater from the center seam). I ignore the seam sts, because I want it to be fitted and 2 sts shouldn't ruin it all for you. If your gauge is 1 or 2 sts per inch, I'd throw in the two selvedge stitches. (Actually, I'd reconsider, because no amount of custom shaping is going to make something that bulky look good on anybody, but that is a conversation for another day). Then, as you go up the sweater, determine the number of sts that should be present at each horizontal line. for example, the next line is 7 3/4" x 2 x 6 = 93 stitches.

Step 12: Measure the distance between the horizontal lines vertically.
It was worse with a flash, I swear.


Determine how many ROWS should be between each new sts number by multiplying the # of inches between the lines times the number of rows per inch. In this case, I went from 96 sts (CO row) to 93 sts (first horizontal line) in 2 1/8inches, so 2.125 inches x 8 rows per inch = 17 rows.

Step 13: (I paid good money to learn this last semester. Pay attention).

Because you go from 96 sts to 93 sts and you are really working with 2 sides, you want an even #. SO lets say 92 sts instead. You have to decrease 4 sts total (2 sts each side) in 17 rows, and you want some flow, so you want the decreases to be equidistant apart. The number of rows you need divided by the number of sts you need to decrease per side determines how many rows you have between each decrease: 17 / 2 = 8.5 (lets say 8 and 9, because you can't have half a row).

So, your custom pattern would be:
1. CO 96 sts, knit in pattern for 7 rows.
2. Next row: K2, k2tog, k until 4 sts rem, sl1, k1, psso, k2. (94 sts)
3. K 8 rows
4. Next row: K2, k2tog, k until 4 sts rem, sl1, k1, psso, k2. (92 sts).

You have to include the decrease row in your row count, so step 1 & 2 equal 8 rows (knit in patt for 7 rows, plus 1 decrease row) and steps 3 & 4 equal 9 rows (8 rows in patt and 1 decrease row). TO check your math, add the total number of rows : 7 + 1 + 8 + 1 = 17 and divide by the row gauge (8) = 2.125" , exactly the height you wanted. Marvel at your genius.

Ideally, your work will be very close to, if not exactly 15.5" wide. Check it against your paper pattern, just to be sure! don't freak out over 1/8 of an inch or so. Blocking cures all (small) evils.

Now, you have 94 sts, and in 3" you need to go down to 15" wide (7.5 x 2). Continue on as before, and dont worry if you have to slightly fudge (add or subtract a stitch or row) to acheive even numbers. Every few inches, hold your knitting up to the paper flat pattern to make sure you're on the right track.

And thats how its done! you can use the paper pattern over and over again and just plug in your gauge depending on the yarn you've chosen!

I'll try to talk about armhole shaping in another tutorial, but for now I am exhausted and The Office is on....